The CAAC sent letters to 44 international airlines in April asking them to remove references to Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong as independent regions. It said it violated the government’s One China policy. The CAAC warned that potential repercussions could include blocking airline websites in China and losing access to the Chinese aviation market.

In a letter published by the Washington Post, Chinese authorities asked that references to Taiwan be changed to “Taiwan, China” or “Taiwan, Province of China.”

Beijing claims that the island nation – officially known as the Republic of China – is a province of China. It does not recognise it as an independent country, though the island has been self-ruled since its split from the mainland after the 1949 civil war.

HK Express. Photo: Wikicommons.

When asked about US airlines’ failure to alter the destination name, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China spokesperson Geng Shuang said on Tuesday: “The One China principle is the universal consensus of the international community. Adhering to the One China principle is the political foundation of the steady development of China-US relations, and the US side is well aware of this. The One China principle is un-negotiable.”

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